1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire harness for holding a number of connecting wires used for wiring electric control apparatuses and devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, wire harnesses have been used to combine a plurality of connecting wires to be connected with electric control apparatuses into a group of connecting wires and the connecting wires often take a shape as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral (100) designates as a whole a connecting wire and (1) designates an electric wire. Both ends of the electric wire are connected to solderless terminals (2A), (2B). Data of wire distribution (3A), (3B) are provided near both ends of the electric wire (1). The data of wire distribution (3A), (3B) can be the line number and the device number and so on which are shown at both ends of the electric wire (1).
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a plurality of the connecting wires shown in FIG. 1 which are combined by binding members and FIG. 3 is an end surface view of FIG. 2.
A general way for connecting the connecting wire (100) between devices held in an electric control panel is to cut the connecting wire in a required length; to provide at both the ends data of wire distribution (3A), (3B) described above, that is, line numbers, the positions and numbers of the devices, terminal number or other data of wiring and connecting; and secure solderless terminals (2A), (2B); thus the shape of the connecting wire shown in FIG. 1 is completed. The connecting wire (100) is normally prepared prior to the wiring operation to improve the efficiency of the wiring operation.
The connecting wires (100) thus previously prepared are fed to the next process with a predetermined number for each device or single unit. In this case, a number of the connecting wires (100) are combined together by a binding member (4) into the shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to be used as a wire harness (101). FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of one unit combined by the binding member (4) wherein the connecting wires (100) in the unit are connected to each terminal in the distribution panel or apparatus.
In the conventional wire harness, workers' skill is required to determine the order of the wiring operation when it is applied to each device, this resulting in a poor processability. In addition, in the wiring operation to the devices, it is necessary to take up the requisite connecting wires in the wire harness one by one. This presents difficulty in finding out the data of wire distribution marked in the connecting wire of the central portion of the harness, thereby resulting in a poor processability and an erroneous wiring operation. Further, when the connecting wires are combined into one for each control unit, the diameter of a bundle is too great or when combined into one for each device, the number of bundles so increases that there is difficulty in transportation and maintenance and the determination of the order of the wiring operation is impossible. Because of insufficient flexibility of the connecting wires except when a harness is formed of the same kind of connecting wires, the connecting wires cannot be easily put into position, the bundling operation is poor and mechanization cannot be easily applied.